by Joseph Katz

Join us as The Kings Players at the Temple Theater wrap up their 2022 season with the light-hearted comedy, Wage Warfare. Young Hope finds herself sandwiched in between prim Bonnie and surly Louise, with the only apparent ‘hope’ for relief a sudden opportunity for promotion. Antics ensue when the three women all vie for the promotion and do their best to undermine each other, as Hope is reluctantly drawn into the other two women’s skulduggery. Hapless boss, Mr. Clogsworth, is oblivious to their shenanigans (except in Hope’s dreams!) and believes his pep talks truly motivate his “troops”. Meanwhile, Hope longs for romance and a better life, as the handsome UPS man and rockstar Aaron Starr punctuate her daily life and her daydreams.

Cast of “Wage Warfare”

Veteran actor RaeLynn Royer, a familiar face at the Temple Theater, and fresh off her tour de force as Ethel Savage in this summer’s The Curious Savage, plays Louise. Louise is an irreverent, feisty curmudgeon, perennially grumbling, who does her best to undermine Hope’s chances for promotion.

Elizabethe Lozano plays Bonnie, a proper, somewhat prim woman who feels guilty about her scheming, and whose reserved exterior hides another side. The Kings Players is happy to welcome Elizabethe back after many years. She appeared in several productions at the Temple Theater in the 1990s.

Michael Barker plays hapless boss, Mr. Clogsworth. Michael has previously appeared in shows with The Kings Players, is a veteran of many shows in another theater and was memorably hilarious in the comedy The Money in Uncle George’s Suitcase at the start of this year.

Jared Kirk, on fire at the Temple Theater this year, returns to our stage immediately after appearing in both The Curious Savage and The Widow in Mink. This spring, Jared played the lovelorn boyfriend to Amanda Braden’s ‘Julie’, niece to the title character in The Widow in Mink, played by our current Stage Manager, Vicki Ralston. Jared had the chance to appear with his mother, RaeLynn, in The Curious Savage, and now joins her, again (“It’s in the blood!”).

In a familial coup de grace, Brandon Kirk, Jared’s brother, appears for the first time on our stage as rockstar (“and music icon”) Aaron Starr. Aaron helps transport Hope out of the mundane office, if only for a moment. Brandon brings real life guitar skills to the role and is happy to join his mother and brother on stage.

Winding up our cast is Salma Alatorre, returning to our stage in a cameo role after appearing at the Temple Theater in The Children’s Story in 2019. Salma is very active in dance and other activities at her school and has appeared in other assorted performances.

Joseph Katz, familiar to the Temple Theater stage with The Kings Players in several productions, makes his directorial debut with this amusing farce. Assistant Director, Amanda Braden, appeared in previous plays with The Kings Players, notably starring in Merry Christmas, Dear Grandpa, last winter, and in The Widow in Mink. John Rabe, long-time Board Member of The Kings Players, actor and resident Temple Theater ‘captain of the ship’, was largely responsible for building the set, along with longtime co-pilot Duffy Caskey, and is handling lighting. Ace Silveira, also a long-time Board Member with The Kings Players, is handling the sound effects.

Wage Warfare runs from October 15 through November 6, with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. on October 15, 21, 22, 28, and 29 and November 4 and with matinees at 2 p.m. on October 16, 23, and 30, and November 5 and 6. Tickets are at kingsplayers.org or call (559) 584-7241. [Note: matinees tend to sell out early!]

Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. And don’t miss out on Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast where we feature mystery stories read by local actors!